, 1887-05-03

quired.
Don't you see your Harry must have
written BOTH" she asked.
NO" said l, 81 do not. am not ieal.
GUS OF Harry"
Then 1 broke the seal, and these were
the words l read:
MADAME-I have another engagement;
nm obliged to decline yours.
H. HEATHcoTR.
L put the billet down with a strange
chill Mt my heart. What had l done to
deserve this' What did it meant What
should | do' A note like this from a be-
trothed lover from whom / had parted
with the tenderest caressesl Efle saw
that | was in trouble and forebore to
question me, but she glided out of the
room and did not return for an hour.
When she came back her face was wet
with tears.
"You cannot tell me what it isS'' she
asked.
1 answered:
81 must have offended him uncon-
sciously. 1 can't say anything more"
When the dinner bell rang ! went down
stairs as usunl. Passing the parlor door
l saw Mrs. Bray. She was reading a note
aloud.
II declare I was never so surprised, y
she said. 81 thought he was in love with
hAAaAS AANAAS khA LhHA LN ElAS III
She hurried away as she spoke, In as
sumed terror. The next moment / saw
Ellie speak to her, and n white paper pass
into her hand. Whatever 1t was she
knew and would tell me. She did. That
evening she brought a letter into my
room-a letter that Mrs. Bray had ex-
hibited to oil the house, love letter
from Harry Hcathcote, tenderer and
more passionate han any he had ever
fr~rttEa, 10 w-a a-I .-s&L Ltn .,-Iz-INaI
signature at its foot. 1t was no forgery.
I even knew the paper, q rare and costly
kind, with his OWL monogram upon it.
1t began Darling, =" and ended "Your own
Harry"
/ did not scream, L did not swoon; 1
fnced the terrible truth as best | might.
She had won him from me; but / was In
no wise to blame. L was true. 1 was
sinned against, not SHINING, and the blow
hould not crush me.
1 did not even allow myself to play the
mourner. Contempt of my lover had
taken the place of love.
He would know I did not grleve for
him; and 1 asked good old Mr.. Halloran
to be my escort to the party next even
ing with a smile on my face, though my
heart ached sorely and life seemed a cold
and cruel thing to me.
They told me 1 was gay that night. l
chatted, l ate and drank, I danced when
ever 1 was asked to do SO. All the while
the words of that letter Harry had written
to Mrs. Bray were in my heart.
When old Mr.. Halloran took me home
he told me 1 had "wearied myself out and
was beginning to feel it." But l was
strong yet.
AS l went up stairs old Mrs. Horton
looked out Of her room.
Your beau was here tonight" she
said. II expect he was cut up to fine
you out, but Mrs. Bray took care Of
him."
1 tried to laugh. AL my life 1 felt 1
must now laugh when 1 had rather cry. 1
must hid my heart. No one should ever
call me q disappointed" woman. No one
should speak Of me as one who had been
Tilted.
l wrapped myself In my dressing gown
and sat before the fire. 1 could not sleep
1 could not even lie down. The clock
struck 10, l, 9, and still 1 watched the
dying embers. Ten minutes more had
gone by, when suddenly a frightful shrek
rang through the house-another and
another. / rushed to the door. Other
people were in the entry. The shrieks
came from Mrs. Bray's room, and ere we
could open it, it was flung wide and she
rushed toward us, her long white night
robe oil ablaze, a horrible moving column
of fire.
l don't know what l thought. I don't
know what l did. / ann remember my
thing more until l had her down upon the
floor with q blanket l had snatched from
n pile hat lay on the table In the entry
wrapped about her. l heard myself cry
ing: Lie still and you will save your
face" And saw the flames choke out,
and the light, black finder floating about
mo md I EnnNu that 7 hnH Of 1aoet q o,o1
her from being quite burned to death.
Soon l knew that | had saved her life.
1t was night agdin when some one came
to my door and told me that Mrs. Bray
wished to see me. OF course, l went to
her. She was lying in her bed, wrapped
in bandages, and she could not stir, but
she looked at me earnestly.
Send them out of the room," she said,
81 want to speak to you alone"
And when the nurse had closed the door
between herself and Mrs. Horton, she
looked at me again in the same strange
way.
"You saved my life,' ~ she said. eyes,
and l remember what you said: Lie still
and you'll save your face Most women
would ave liked me to have spoiled my
face had l used them so. And you don't
know the world, either. Go to tina desk.
There's n letter there. It's yours. 1
wanted to make you Jealous, n l wrote
to your beau to ask his escort somewhere.
1.-Two notes came at the same time to
the house. L knew very well that there
was q mistake made-that mine had been
put into our envelope and yours into
mine. l scratched your name out of tina
one you have there and showed it about
to make you jealous. He's as true as steel
to you. l love you for saving my face,
M tell you that. Now, try to forgive
me-"
l was too happy to do anything else. /
knew that what she said was true. And
when she asked me l stopped down and
gave her u kiss.
1t was our last interview. When Mrs.
Bray recovered she let Mrs. Horizons,
and Harry Heathcote never knew uuy
thing about those two miserable days until
/ had been his wife too long to nave any
secrets from him.-New York journal.
Plain Speaking to u Queen.